A Short Hike

Introduction and Setting:

The game begins with the player character, a bird, traveling in a car with Aunt May to a hiking location. This sets the stage for the adventure and exploration that follows.

Player Mechanics:

• Character Control: Players control the bird character using movement keys.
• Jumping and Gliding: Pressing ‘Z’ allows the character to jump, and holding the button lets the character glide. Players can also perform a freedive.
• Item Usage: Pressing ‘X’ with an equipped item allows the player to use the item.
• Running: Holding ‘C’ when the player has running shoes acquired allows the character to run.

Complexity in Simplicity: The mechanics are simple, yet mastering them provides a sense of challenge and fulfillment. The gliding mechanic, in particular, offers depth, encouraging players to learn and refine their control.

Walk

Glide

Run

Item Use

Game Mechanics:

• Golden Feathers: A crucial collectible in the game, golden feathers enhance the character’s abilities, allowing for additional jumps or extended climbing. This item symbolizes growth and progression. As the player collects more of these feathers they feel the sense of dynamic growth through the enhanced capabilities granted and how those capabilities “unlock” more potential areas of the mountain to explore.

• Mountain Top: The game’s main objective is to reach the peak of a tall mountain, initially inaccessible to the player. Collecting golden feathers grants more freedom of movement, enabling further exploration. The goal of getting the top sets a clear, but ephemeral measurement for the player’s progress.

• Mountain: The mountain also serves as the general playing ground for the player with different mechanics scattered throughout it and hidden locations spread throughout. Throughout the play-time of the player whether they are set-out by NPCs or in search of chests, the mountain allows the player to orient themselves and set-out new micro goals.

• NPCs: In “A Short Hike,” NPCs provide the player with tasks that offer both growth and narrative depth. While the quests themselves grant golden feathers and encourage exploration, the NPC add a layer of storytelling and character development.

• Quests: The main avenue for the player to collect more of the golden feathers is through completing quests given by NPCs scattered throughout the mountain. Each of these quests focuses on a unique aspect of the game while granting the player more feathers. The existence of these quests incentivizes the player to actively search for NPCs and enframe them in more to the world of “A Short Hike”.

• Chests: Chests are scattered throughout the mountain and gives coins upon opening them. Coins are necessary to purchase more Golden Feather’s so the existence of these chests incentivizes the player to explore and be more tuned in to their surroundings.

• Mountain Top (Frozen): At a specific altitude of the mountain, the golden feathers are frozen upon use and is replenished when the player gets to a warm zone (campfire or warm water). The mechanic goes on the create a sense of safety (players need to remember where they are) and challenge (sparingly use feathers), which generate two different dynamics: path-memorizing and skill progression.

Design Choices:

• Perspective and Camera Work: A unique aspect of “A Short Hike” is primarily the camera work around the mountain. It does not follow the conventional 3D perspective used in shooter where the camera is above and behind the player, but instead focuses in on the mountain as if it were looking towards the center.

• Art Style and Atmosphere: “A Short Hike” is celebrated for its charming pixel art style and vibrant color palette. The game’s visuals evoke a sense of nostalgia and simplicity, contributing to a warm and inviting atmosphere. This artistic choice, combined with the tranquil and picturesque environment, creates a serene and immersive world that encourages players to explore and relax.

• Soundtrack: Each track is carefully crafted to match different areas and moments within the game, creating an auditory journey that aligns with the player’s progress. The soundtrack not only enriches the atmosphere but also adds emotional depth, making the exploration feel more immersive and rewarding.

• No Fall Damage: One of the refreshing gameplay mechanics in “A Short Hike” is the absence of fall damage. This design choice allows players to explore the mountain freely without the fear of negative consequences from falling.

Themes and Player Experience:

• Growth and Mastery: The game emphasizes personal growth and mastery over mechanics. This mirrors the satisfaction players derive from sports, where improvement and skill development are key motivators.

• Exploration and Discovery: As players collect golden feathers, they experience increased freedom, reinforcing themes of exploration and discovery. The mountain serves as a metaphorical and literal goalpost, marking player progression.

• Non-competitive Challenge: The mountain presents a challenge without adversaries, focusing on personal achievement and the joy of overcoming obstacles rather than on competition.

• Narrative and Connection: The game’s narrative acts as the cohesive glue that binds together its diverse aesthetics, advancing the storyline and deeply immersing players in its world.

What’s Not There: Further analysis to look at are the game mechanics that were intentionally not added to the game: fall damage and map completion (mainly), but also other mechanics that the designer could have added.

Conclusion and Reflection:

“A Short Hike” effectively blends simple mechanics with deep, meaningful themes. The journey up the mountain is a testament to the player’s growth, mirroring real-life experiences of learning, exploration, and the satisfaction of achieving personal goals. Through its design, the game creates a fulfilling and introspective experience for the player.

My own reflections on the game led me to the conclusion that I should go on a hike sometimes. Having thought about what a hike means to me, I realized that the only reason why I didn’t go on hikes was because of my previous conceptions of them. I always thought of them like solo player stick-to-the-path adventures and the reward was the view. Not to discount that, but I wouldn’t see myself hiking for that reason. Hiking for physical growth is another reason as well, but if that is the only thing, it’s more efficient to hit the treadmill.

With that said, the motivator missing for me is the people climbing along with me. In the actual world, a hiker wouldn’t normally encounter a shady person dealing enhancements or in search of 15 seashells (hiking with micro-missions sounds cool). I’ve also heard from others that a hike might include going off the path and then getting lost to eventually find yourself at the scenic view. At the end of the day, what makes “A Short Hike” and could make real hikes are the people you go with. Because it’s really about the people; climbing the mountain is only a goal.

Here is a clip of the most memorable moment for me in “A Short Hike”

If you want to play the game: https://ashorthike.com/